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Man 86 Found Shot to Death in Canaryville Home

August 12, 2017

(WGN) An 86 year old man is dead in what appears to be a homicide in the Canaryville neighborhood.

Officers responded to the 4100 block of south Wallace on Thursday at approximately 4:04 p.m. where the 86 year-old Donald McNamara was discovered bleeding from a puncture wound in the back of his head.

McNamara was transported to Northwestern Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.
Area Central is investigating the homicide.

An 86-year-old man is the latest victim of Chicago’s violence.

His daughter discovered his body Thursday afternoon inside his Canaryville apartment. He had been shot in the head.

Neighbors and family say that 86-year-old was well known in the neighborhood and well liked. He wore a suit almost everyday with a cowboy hat and to their knowledge, had no enemies.

Chicago detectives were at 41st and Wallace, inside the first floor apartment of 86-year-old Donnie McNamara and a neighborhood and family are left wondering why.

David McNamara is Donnie’s nephew. He said his uncle, a retired delivery driver, was loved by everyone. Known in the neighborhood as Donnie Mac.

“He was a nice guy. A guy you would like to have on your side, a neighbor you would love to have, a tenant you would love to rent to,” he said.

McNamara moved into the first floor apartment back in 2015. Charles Phillips owns the building and said inside the apartment it did not look like a struggle, it looked clean.

Off camera, another neighbor told us McNamara had driven to a bakery a few blocks away, picked something up to eat then drove back to his apartment. Not long after, his daughter found him slumped over in a chair but was unaware he had been shot in the head.

There is hope surveillance video can fill in the minutes leading up to his death.

Police are determined to see who was last with him and are trying to bring some closure to the family.

Community activist Andrew Holms’ group is putting up a $1000 reward for information.

“It’s a murder, it’s a homicide. De didn’t deserve it he’s 86 and we are going to do everything we can do help solve this case,” Holms said.

McNamara’s family is begging for someone to come forward as well.

His nephew said McNamara had eight children. Right now police have very little to go on. There are no suspects and no arrests at this point.